Monday, February 27, 2012

WAITING FOR SPRING TRAINING GAMES

So far, it's just warm-ups, drills and calisthenics in the training camps. Actual games won't start for a few more days. So while we wait, let's talk about other things.

***NO RACE FOR YOU***
For the first time in it's 54-year history, the Daytona 500 was postponed due to "crystal-lization" of the airwaves. Actually, Billy Crystal and the Oscars had nothing to do with it, the race was postponed because of rain. For those who are interested, the race is scheduled for noon today on the Fox Network. Don't make the popcorn yet, there is an 80% chance of rain.

***BRAUN'S NOT MAKING MANY FRIENDS***
After a lengthy, cliche-filled statement a couple of days ago, Ryan Braun does not appear to have convinced many people of his innocence. In a poll conducted by ESPN, only 18% of the 130,000 responders said they were convinced that he did nothing wrong. Of course, this means nothing to Michael Smith of ESPN, who doesn't believe in the 'court of public opinion.'

***NICKNAMES***
I really enjoy team nicknames and sometimes mascots. With the NCAA Tournament looming, I thought I would expose you all to some nicknames you'll probably be hearing in the next month.

I'm sure everyone is familar with the usual Wolfpack, Spartans, 'Gators, Hoyas, Blue Devils Tigers, etc., but how about some of the rarer names; the obscure, the funny and the just plain strange, and their derivation?
Murray State Racers - Does this team run a lot of fast breaks?
Akron Zips - Fast breaks or missed shots?
Drexel Dragons - Might be something to do with their breath.
Xavier Musketeers - No, they don't wear hats with big round ears, that's a different spelling.
St Mary Gaels & Iona Gaels - I hope these two teams don't end up playing each other, or we'll see some play-by-play announcers heads exploding.
By the way, a Gael, according to Google, is a person who speaks a Celtic language. Before you start practicing your "Bahston" accent, we're talking about the Scots and Irish from north of England, not the basketball team.
St Louis Billikens - A Billiken is a charm doll, sometimes shown with pointed ears, and looking somewhat like a buddha. I hope the team is in better shape.

So there you have some of the more interesting names. Enjoy them while you can, because some of the teams may be one-and-out. The nicknames may also disappear as affiliations evolve. The Syracuse Orange used to be referred to as "The Saltine Warriors," because of the proximity of a salt mine or two. The mining petered out and in an attempt to be more politically correct, the character was eliminated. Or perhaps it was the threat of a lawsuit by Nabisco.

***THEY SAID IT***
"Supermodel Bar Refaeli says she was pleased to meet Rafa Nadal on a recent photo shoot. There's an intro you'd want to be sober for: Refaeli, Rafael; Rafael, Refaeli." -- RJ Currie
"Red Sox have just banned beer from the clubhouse. Fans may notice Boston’s position players & starting pitchers making frequent visits out to the bullpen this year." -- TC Chong
"The Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue is out. How is this edition different than a feature on the Sacramento Kings? The Kings have more boobs." -- Alan Ray
"Beyoncé and Jay-Z were spotted at a Knicks game this week. They found a last-minute babysitter - the guy who used to play point guard before Jeremy Lin." -- Jimmy Fallon
"Fireworks Night at Marlins games? Might be every night, what with combustible manager Ozzie Guillen and flammable hurler Carlos Zambrano in Miami's mix." -- Dwight Perry
"Manny Ramirez will wear uniform No. 1 with the A's this season, and somewhere, Billy Martin is punching the lid of a box." -- Carl Steward, Oakland Tribune
"I'm not impressed that Nike founder Phil Knight will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Since when do shoe salesmen get into the Hall of Fame? Who's next — Al Bundy or Buster Brown?" -- Mike Bianchi
"Who says you can't take it with you? Raiders owner Al Davis died in October. Oakland doesn't have first-, second-, third-, fourth- or seventh-round draft picks this April." -- Dwight Perry

CP-

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